THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Recruitment Role Profile Form

Job Title:Executive Assistant to PVC for Engineering and Senior Management Team

School/Department: Faculty of Engineering

Salary:£22,249 - £26,537 per annum, depending on skills & experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

Job Family and Level:Administrative, Professional & Managerial Level 3

Contract Status: Permanent

Hours of Work:Full-time (36.25 hours per week)

Location:University Park Campus

Reporting to:Head of Faculty Research Operations

Purpose of the New Role:

To provide all aspects of professional administrative support to the senior management team within the Faculty, comprising the PVC for Engineering, Associate PVC for Research and Knowledge Exchange. To facilitate and ensure the smooth running of the senior management support office within a large Faculty.

Main Responsibilities / % time per year
1 / Administrative Assistant to Senior Faculty Management
  • Provide varied administrative support to the PVC for Engineering and other Senior Management staff.
  • Act as first point of contact for the PVC and relevant Associate PVC’s responding efficiently and effectively to internal and external queries.
  • Management of complex diary arrangements, balancing and co-ordination of commitments for senior management team.
  • Identifying priority correspondence and using judgement to make initial responses, consulting and following up email and letter correspondence as appropriate.
  • Shared responsibility for the day-to-day management of the support for the most senior staff within the Faculty.
  • Provide advice and assistance with travel and accommodation arrangements using Concur as appropriate.
  • Responsible for the organisation and up-keep of accurate and secure office systems, correspondence, templates and Faculty files taking special note of the confidentiality of said files.
  • Organisation of accommodation and hospitality as and when required for VIP visitors.
  • Establishment and upkeep of professional contacts/relationships with colleagues throughout the University, including the overseas campuses and externally.
/ 65%
2. / Support and facilitate Faculty-wide activities such as business committees, working parties, task and review groups, including:
  • Servicing Faculty Executive Board and other Faculty Boards chaired by the PVC for Engineering and Associate PVC for Research and Knowledge Exchange.
  • Arranging and preparing for appointments and meetings, compiling complex paperwork and following up on action points.
  • Supporting and providing documentation for internal and external reviews.
/ 5%
3. / Project support for key Faculty Projects
Provide briefing reports or other materials as necessary on request/with direction of PVC for Engineering and other Senior Management staff:
  • Work in partnership, including significant face-to-face interaction with senior management.
  • Provide high-qualify project support:
Draft and maintain relevant project documentation such as schedules and risk registers.
Monitor progress against timelines and milestones and pro-actively identify approaching deadlines.
Develop and maintain project folders.
  • Proactive production and where relevant analysis of management reports on progress, issues and risks, including gathering of relevant material from individuals contributing to initiatives.
  • Compile, update and manage the distribution of project reports to agreed audiences, providing analysis and recommendations for development and improvement.
  • Respond to requests for documentation, taking into account appropriate access rights and issues of confidentiality.
  • Communicate and build working relationships with key contacts from other teams to support the project activities enabling successful delivery of strategically beneficial outcomes to the Faculty.
  • Plan, organise and where appropriate deliver project related events such as training workshops and briefings.
  • Develop processes and/or systems to assist with the co-ordination of the production, review and sign-off of project related information.
/ 20%
4. / Faculty Communications
To co-ordinate and undertake Faculty communication activities on behalf of the PVC for Engineering and other Senior Management staff:
  • Act as Senior Management Team workspace coordinator, ensuring information is added, updated regularly and maintained for area of responsibility.
  • Liaise with other workspace coordinators within Faculty.
  • Maintain websites ensuring information is added, updated and regularly maintained for area of responsibility.
  • Organise and make arrangements for briefing sessions e.g. Faculty Forum and invited speakers.
  • Disseminate information to staff on behalf of the Faculty Senior Management Team via email or other appropriate means.
/ 5%
5. / Other Duties
  • Other comparable duties as may reasonably be required at the request of the PVC for Engineering and Senior Management Staff.
/ 5%

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications/ Education /
  • HNC/HND, or equivalent plus English and Maths at GCSE or equivalent OR substantial work experience in a relevant field
/
  • Professional qualification

Knowledge/Skills/Training /
  • Analysis and problem solving capability
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentations
  • Excellent IT skills in a wide range of software packages
  • Planning and organising skills
  • High degree of numeracy and analytical skills
/
  • Knowledge of academic culture

Experience /
  • Considerable and demonstrable experience in relevant field
  • Evidence of establishing new and improving existing administrative systems and procedures and managing resources
  • Project management experience
  • Previous experience in related role
  • Experience of working to tight deadlines
/
  • Previous relevant work experience in a Higher Education or similar environment

Other /
  • Ability of work on own initiative and as part of a team supporting colleagues and sharing expertise
  • Willingness to respond immediately to changing priorities
/
  • An understanding of the key working relationships required with staff at all levels across the Faculty/University

Decision Making

i)taken independently by the role holder

  • Prioritisation, planning, organisation and allocation of the Faculty senior management team’s related workload on a daily basis. Making independent decisions about enquiries or incidents arising, as appropriate.
  • Organisation of a work stream within a large scale project, responding to unforeseen problems that arise during the co-ordination and management of project events/activities.
  • Resolution of day-to-day problems within agreed tolerances.
  • Application and interpretation of the University’s documentation standards.
  • Format of strategic presentations and policy, guidance and procedures documentation.
  • Ensuring colleagues are provided with relevant information ahead of project and/or Board meetings.
  • Highlighting any issues regarding the operation of the office and suggesting areas where process improvements can be made.

ii)taken in collaboration with others

  • Travel and accommodation arrangements.
  • Making arrangements for visitors and overseas visits of senior management team.
  • Analysis and changes relating to project scheduling.
  • Requests from the University senior management team for reports and any key information.
  • Format and content of project documentation.

iii)referred to the appropriate line manager (Julie Harrison) by the role holder

  • Final content of correspondence and reports.
  • Major enquiries or incidents arising during the working day if independent action is not appropriate.
  • Authorisation of large budgetary spends and signature approval requirements.
  • Issues that require significant changes (outside project tolerances) to project quality, timelines, risks and budget.
  • Corrective procedures required for any significant deviations from standard operating procedures.
  • Recommendations for new procedures and systems that impact multiple teams.
  • Major enquiries or incidents arising during the working day if independent action is not appropriate.

Additional Information

  • The role holder is one of the key contact points for the most senior staff within the Faculty.
  • The role is essential to the integral working a large and complex Faculty, comprising 800+ staff, with significant established presence at the overseas campuses. It has a high impact on the reputation of the Faculty and operation of the senior management team through contact with very high profile establishments, external contacts, staff and students.
  • The role holder is in a position of trust and significant responsibility and needs to quickly establish excellent working relationships with the senior management team.

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